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POLICE AND
TROUBLE |
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Nepal is one of the safest countries in the world, which is all the
more remarkable when you consider the gulf between rich and poor.
However, theft is on the rise, and political instability seems to be
bringing a general rise in lawlessness.
The only real concern is petty theft , and then chiefly from fellow
travellers. Common sense suggests a few precautions. Store valuables
that you're not using in your hotel's or guest-house's safe, and carry
the rest in a money belt or pouch around your neck at all times. In a
dormitory, keep your bag locked up and any expensive items with you. A
padlock can be purchased cheaply in Nepal; it doesn't have to be big -
deterrence is the main thing. Pickpocketing happens in a few crowded
places frequented by tourists, and some bus routes have reputations for
baggage theft.
If you're robbed, report it as soon as possible to the police
headquarters of the district in which the robbery occurred. They're apt
to be friendly and consoling, if not much help. For insurance purposes,
go to the Interpol Section of the police headquarters in Durbar Square
or Naksal, Kathmandu, to fill in a report, a copy of which you'll need
to keep for claiming from your insurer once you're back home. Bring a
photocopy of the pages in your passport containing your photo and your
Nepalese visa, together with two passport photos. Dress smartly and
expect an uphill battle - they're jaded by stolen-travellers'-cheque
scams.
Violent crime is extremely rare, and the danger of getting raped or
assaulted in a populated area is statistically insignificant. The only
real concern is a certain amount of hooliganism in the Kathmandu tourist
bars; fortunately the government is ploughing back some tourist tax
revenue into maintaining a police presence in those areas in the
evenings. The countryside is for the most part equally safe, although
several Western women have been raped by trekking guides in recent
years. There has always been a small risk of violent attack by bandits
on remote trekking trails, so it's advisable not to walk alone.
There are several ways to get on the wrong side of the law, none of them
worth it. Smuggling is the usual cause of serious trouble - drugs and
gold are the big no-nos, and if you get caught with commercial
quantities of either you'll be looking at a more or less automatic five
to twenty years in prison. While it would be incredibly stupid to go
through immigration control with drugs , discreet possession inside the
country carries virtually no risk; flash dope around, though, and you
could conceivably get shopped by an innkeeper.
In Nepal, where government servants are poorly paid, a little bakshish
sometimes greases the wheels. Nepalese police don't bust tourists simply
in order to get bribes, but if you're accused of something it might not
hurt to make an offer, in an extremely careful, euphemistic and deniable
way. This shouldn't be necessary if you're the victim of a crime,
although you may feel like offering a reward.
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